Spring Cleaning: a green cleaning routine

Ah, Saturday morning. This might be my favorite time of day, on my favorite day of the week. Mrs. GGC here – writing this post from my preferred lunch spot, noshing on a delicious vegetarian burger and sweet potato fries. YUM. But, that’s not why I’m writing this post. Every Saturday morning, I take an hour or two to do a deep clean of our house. You know how it is. A busy work week leaves little time for laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, disinfecting, etc. I am a self-proclaimed neat freak (good luck to my future children) and I like for our house to look like it could be featured in Home and Garden magazine. It must be clean, organized, and welcoming at all times.Therefore, I am LOVING this month’s challenge because it has inspired us to find innovative ways to clean our home the “green way”. It also coincides with the start of spring, which means SPRING CLEANING! So without further ado, welcome to our home!

Our Spring Cleaning Routine

Let me first say that this routine is so simple to follow that even your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/children (insert other “messy” roommate here) won’t mind helping out! It is quick, no fuss, and fool proof.

Vacuum first: why? Because each time you vacuum, you send little particles of dust, dead skin, bugs etc. flying through the air. Therefore, you don’t want to clean your other surfaces first! I haven’t discovered a more “green” way of approaching this task, however if we are talking carpets, there are plenty of DIY carpet cleaners out there. Try this one! (note: avoid using borax whenever possible)

Get your dust on: dusting is so satisfying to me because you can see the results immediately. For this, I recommend using a rag that you can designate to this task. A microfiber duster such as the one pictured below is great because it catches the particles without leaving very much behind. Try your best NOT use your paper towel role for this as they do not always recycle well and you may risk bringing unwanted chemicals into the home because of the process it takes to manufacture them. If you are going to use paper towels, choose an eco-friendly brand that uses recycled paper. We will be making these available for purchase on our site soon!

Wash those windows: we highly recommend using our recipe for DIY Easy Glass Cleaner . This was super cheap (and fun) to make, and a little bit goes a long way. Challenge your kids to make the process more fun: who can get the windows cleaner?! The best part? No chemical smell, and no icky residue.

Those pesky counters: I feel like I am constantly wiping down the counters in our home. They are a disgusting breeding spot for bacteria, especially during flu season! Don’t you hate it when you find dirty tissues laying around the house? Or how about when your kids leave crumbs and sticky fingerprints everywhere? Our DIY Antibacterial Cleaner smells like heaven and really does the trick. 1 paper towel + 2-3 pumps of this stuff (depending on how large the surface is) will make a huge difference. I will never go back to using my old go-to brands. Why wash your house with chemicals when you can use all-natural ingredients found in the cupboard or fridge? It JUST MAKES SENSE.

Say YES to soap nuts!: we call my mother “the hurricane”, and it isn’t for the reasons you think. I acquired my clean habits from my mama. When she comes to visit, she rushes through the door and heads straight to the sink. By the end of her visit, my laundry is done, the floor is clean, the dishes are put away, and the bathroom is sparkling. Knowing this, you may be surprised to hear that we have officially convinced my mother to use soap nuts and she is LOVING it. They are both fun and efficient to use, and they leave your laundry feeling SOFT, like new! And when they have run their course in the laundry, reuse the shells to make a DIY cleaner (such as the ones listed above). Purchase these through our website!

The old fashion way: low on resources or time? Warm, soapy water will always do the trick. I use this to clean the kitchen and bathroom floors. Sometimes I will also clean the dining room table with a bit of warm water. Be sure to dry wood surfaces immediately so it does not warp. These ingredients are pet-safe, they dry quickly and you never run out!

The benefits of our green clean routine

The process is QUICK. Using these products and following the steps above, I can clean the entire house in under an hour! Throughout the week, I use the green cleaners to wipe down the counters and mirrors frequently.

I cannot stress this enough: no chemical smell or residue. I don’t think I can ever go back to using cleaning products that are made from such tough, unhealthy and unnatural ingredients. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my house to feel like a hospital. Of course we want a clean environment free from unwanted bacteria, but we do NOT want it to feel sterile in a negative sense. Our house sparkles, everything seems softer, and it smells great.

Our clothes are left softer and cleaner than ever (thank you NaturOli!)

You will feel such a sense of personal satisfaction and joy just knowing that you are cleaning the healthy way. These small steps have a tremendously positive impact on the environment AND they are better for your health. Keep your family healthy and your house clean at the same time.

The disadvantages of green cleaning

I really had to think about this one. It’s a stretch, but yes, store bought products seem more convenient. Despite how easy it really is, if DIY is not your thing, we encourage you to purchase all-natural cleaning products. Visit our Green Resources page to get you started!

We hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of our home! Now – don’t you have some laundry to do?